Twenty years ago, at a time when the world’s major athletic companies were reinventing sports apparel, who would have thought that a small company making what appeared to be paper jackets would not only survive but become an established and warmly regarded member of the running industry? Leslie Jordan persevered from Tyvek jackets to Cool Cat – some of the more advanced technical products – and in so doing provided events with a unique promotional product and athletes with excellent dependable equipment.

Carol Lasseter Rice

Running Times

Carol Lasseter Rice built Running Times magazine and secured its special place in the community of runners. She joined the magazine as the Calendar Editor in 1985, and in 1987 became the Associate Publisher. In 1994, she was named Running Times’ Publisher and Partner in Fitness Publishing, Inc. Lasseter Rice received a B.S. in English Education and a M.A. in Early Childhood Gifted Education from the University of Southern Alabama, and spent her early career years as a high school English teacher. She started running at the age of 39 and found success at racing on the Masters Circuit. In 1986 she was ranked the 10th fastest American Female Master by the Runner Magazine. Later, Lasseter Rice traveled worldwide as a speaker for Nike’s Women’s Panel on Women & Distance Running.

Guy Morse

Executive Director, BAA

Under the thoughtful leadership of Guy Morse, the Boston Marathon quickly established itself in the new pantheon of great events. There are only two marathons in the U.S. for which runners need to qualify – the Olympic Trials and Boston. Such is the allure of the Boston Marathon, that in an age of non-competitive participation, the field could probably be as large as the Boston Athletic Association, Guy and the course would allow. For safeguarding a great tradition and adding to the history of our great sport, Guy Morse enters the Hall of Champions.

Bill Roe

Past USATF President

For close to 30 years, Bill Roe has kept the voice of distance running heard in the AAU, TAC and USA Track & Field. After serving the governing body in almost every capacity, he overcame the stiffest of competition and was elected President in 2000 – a position he easily retained after the 2004 Olympics. Although he travels continuously, he still coaches his club and often leaves far flung destinations at absurd hours so as not to miss his team’s next race. Combining leadership, diplomacy and hard work Bill Roe is probably the best USATF president of all.

Allan Steinfeld

CEO & President, NYRR

The surging growth of running is often attributed to Frank Shorter’s gold medal in the 1972 Olympic Games and while the achievements of Shorter, Bill Rodgers and later Joan Benoit were highly inspirational, a student of running history might find that the attribution belonged to Fred Lebow. No one man, not even Fred could have built the New York Road Runners and the New York City Marathon alone and had he not been the first and only Running USA president, Allan Steinfeld’s contribution to building the sport would have placed him in the first group of Champions inducted into our Hall in 2004. Since we lost Fred, Allan guided the NYRR, ING NYC Marathon and 200 other NYRR events and all the other activities of America’s most prominent running organization to continued excellence. At the same time, his advice enabled the success of other prominent events and he has served the sport nationally and overseas. As our president, he has brought both prestige and wisdom to the growth of Running USA. So as he has handed the leadership of NYRR to Mary Wittenberg, it is time for Allan to join his peers in the Hall of Champions.